


Locks Only Work if You Don’t Give out Copies of the Key

by addictedtofiction



Series: Take My Hand [2]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 20:04:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/714549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addictedtofiction/pseuds/addictedtofiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Courfeyrac and Jehan don’t follow the Contact Ban. This may be more than Marius’ nerves can handle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Locks Only Work if You Don’t Give out Copies of the Key

 Courfeyrac had not realized exactly how much he hated the Contact Ban until he met Jehan. It’s not that he hadn’t realized it was wrong –it would be hard not to with Enjolras as a friend, but he hadn’t hated it before, only disapproved of it. Now though, now he hates it.

He hates the way he has to keep himself away from Jehan, the way he can’t touch him, not even to hold his hand or fix his clothes or tug at his hair. He hates the way he has to lock all the doors and close the blinds before he can hold the other man. He hates the way he has to be afraid.

He wishes he didn’t have to worry about these things, and that is why he fights against them. He’s fairly certain he would fight the whole world if it meant he could keep Jehan.

Outside of the Musain, the two of them are always careful to avoid contact. Anyone with eyes can see that they’re together, but Courfeyrac would like to hope that no one suspects them of breaking the ban.

The day they’re discovered for the first time starts off the same as any other. They attend a meeting, and then go back to Courfeyrac's. For dinner, they say as they’re leaving, in order to avoid the suspicions of the other patrons.

After diner they curl up together on the couch. Jehan recites poetry as Courf trails kisses down his neck, and they’re so wrapped up in each other they don’t hear the door being unlocked.

Marius swings the door open and calls out, “Hey, Courf! Can I stay here for a few-“He yelps, and spins around, covering his eyes.

Courfeyrac tries to jump away from Jehan, but sends them both tumbling to the floor.

“Marius!”

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean –I didn’t see anything, I promise. I’m just going to go, and-”Marius had been trying to make his way out of the apartment with his hand still over his eyes, and had ran into the doorframe.

Courfeyrac is torn between panicking and laughing, so he settles for the safer path. He sighs and stands up. This is Marius, and if anyone outside of Les Amis would protect this secret, it’s him.

Besides, if Courfeyrac lets him leave he’ll work himself into a tizzy and probably wind up injured.

Courfeyrac places his hand on Marius’ shoulder and feels him flinch under the touch. He wonders if Marius has ever broken the Contact Ban before, wonders if he’s ever had reasoned to.

Wonders how he has managed not to.

“Marius, it’s okay. Really.”

“Of course it is,” he says quickly, “I mean, of course it’s okay because how could it not be okay because I didn’t see anything so there’s nothing to not be okay with, and I think I’m just going to go and maybe find Eponine because-“

Jehan raises one eyebrow at Courfeyrac and in a look that says, _how exactly do we make him stop panicking._ Courfeyrac shrugs helplessly before turning back to Marius.

“Marius, Jehan and I broke the Contact Ban.”

“You didn’t break the Contact Ban,” Marius replies, his voice edging closer and closer to hysteria, “You didn’t break the Contact Ban because that would be _illegal,_ and, Courf, you can’t go to jail-“

“We broke the Contact Ban because it is wrong, and we don’t believe in it, and we’re fighting against it.”

That stops Marius in his tracks. He stares at Courfeyrac before following up with the obvious question, “You’re….fighting against the Contact Ban?  But _how? Why_ are you? What if you’re caught?”

Courfeyrac wishes Enjolras was here. It’s not that he doesn’t believe in their cause, only, he can never fully articulate it. He knows it’s wrong. Knows that anything that keeps him from Jehan must be, but he has no idea how to explain this to other people.

Luckily, Jehan has never been at a loss of words in his life. “Human contact has been used as a form of communication and comfort since the dawn of time and no government has the right to take that away from us. Courfeyrac and I are part of a group that fights against the Ban. You should come to one of our meetings.”

Courfeyrac has never considered bring Marius to a meeting before, never considered dragging him into this secretive lifestyle.

When Marius shows up in the back room of the Musain and shakes his hand in greeting he wonders why.


End file.
